Brush for moistening the sheets of copying-books



(No Model.)

G. E. RICKETTS.

BRUSH FOR MOISTENING THE SHEETS 0F COPYING BOOKS.

No. 412,120. Patented Oct. 1, 1889.

UNITED ST TES PATENT GEORGE E. RICKETTS, OF GOSHEN, INDIANA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 412,120, dated October1, 1889. Application filed February 26, 1889. Serial No. 301,220- (ll'omodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. RICKETTS, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Goshemin the county of Elkhart and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brushes forMoistening the Sheets of Copying-Books; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe'invention, whichwill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

The invention relates to improvements in brushes for moistening thesheets of copyingbooks used in conjunction with letter-presses, theobjects being to provide a fountain-brush of that kind from which theflow of water may be at all times equal and uniform, the said flowincreased or diminished to the desired amount, and which may be laiddown on either side without discharging water upon its support; and itconsists in the construction and novel combination of parts, hereinafterdescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out inthe appended claim.

Figure l of the drawings represents a perspective View of a letter-pressbrush embodying the invention. Fig. 2 represents an edge View of saidbrush placed upon a suitable support and showing that it may be placedthereon on either side without the delivering-edge of the brush touchingsaid support. Fig. 3 represents a central longitudinal section of thebrush on the line an act Fig. 1. Fig. 4- repre sents the deliveringfeltcloth or equivalent material detached from the holder.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A designates the stock of thebrush, comprising the handle B and the holding-case or holder G. Thesaid stock is of flexible springy sheet metal or equivalent material,the handle and holder being preferably integral. The handle B is ovoidin form, as shown, of considerably greater diameter from side to sidethan the holder C, and its interior space constitutes a chamber 0 forcontaining the necessary amount of water. I The outer end of the handleis provided. with a threaded opening,-in which engages a screw-plug c,which may, if desired, have a circumferential outwardly-extending milledflange o on its outer end to render the removal of the plug easy. Theedges of the holder C diverge from its point of juncture with the handleand are preferably rounded, as shown, the convexity being outward.

D is a strap or band, preferably of sheet metal, secured transversely toone side of the holder at a suitable distance from its edge and providedat equal distances on each side of the central line thereof with thesimilar convex bends cl (1, which stand outward from the holder to adistance about equal to that of the corresponding side of the handletherefrom.

E is a screw, which passes through transverse openings in the sides ofthe holder and the band D between the convex bends d, and which may, ifdesired, have its head secured to the hand between said bends, itsthreaded end projecting through a re-enfcrcing block e, secured to theopposite side of the holder.

F is a thumbmut, which engages upon said threaded end outside of saidblock, and by means of which the distance between the sides of theholder may be increased or diminished, the said nut being a set-nut.

The sides of the holder should have sutticient spring to cause them tomove outward or from each other when the thumb-nut is partiallyunscrewed. The said thumb -nut projects about as far from the adjacentside of the holder as the corresponding side of the handle B. Thus bymeans of the convex bends d and the thumbnut the device maybe laid oneither side upon a flat support with the holder parallel to and nottouching the said support.

G is the web of the brush, which may be of any suitable material, suchas felt, asbestus, hair, sponge, or other equivalent substance. Felt,however, is preferable, because it unites with its powers of absorptionand capillary attraction the quality of being easily made into sheets ofuniform thickness, so that its inner end can be readily cut and fittedinto the open end or mouth of the holder. The said web G isnotchedlongitudinallyand centrally, in order that the portions on eachside of said notch may pass inward on eachside of the shank of the screwE, and its edges are tapered and rounded to fit snugly within theholder. Thefree edge of the web is cuttransversely parallel to the edgeof the holder and is preferably beveled on each side, so that when theWeb bends during use the beveled portion of its edge will rest evenlyupon the paper.

It is evident that when the device is laid down on either side theconvex bends dor the thumb-nut will prevent the edge of the web touchingthe support and discharging'water thereon, as the web in its normalposition is aligned with the holder. It is also evident that the Watercan escape but very slowly by evaporation from the web and thattheamount of water delivered to the Web can be increased or diminished, asdesired, by means of the thumb setuiut, which can approximate" thesides'of theholder and diminish the delivery to the amount desired. v p

The device" is simple in construction and will be found to be effectivein practice.

The handle ispreferably of greater diameter from edgeto edgethan fromside to side, as that is the most convenient shape for the liquid to theweb, and the band having the bends forming a support for the holder,substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim thefor'egoingas my own I have hereuntoaflixed'my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

. GEORGE E; RICK ETTS; witnesse'st D. WILSO HARRY C.-WILs'0N

